Papers by Kayla J Heffernan
First Monday, Feb 20, 2017
As technology becomes smaller, the way we carry it has progressed from luggable, to wearable and ... more As technology becomes smaller, the way we carry it has progressed from luggable, to wearable and now towards devices that reside inside the human body, or insertables . This trend is particularly observable in many medical devices, such as pacemakers that were once large stand-alone devices and are now completely inserted into the body. We are now seeing a similar trajectory with non-medical systems. While people once carried keys to open office doors, these have been mostly replaced with wearable access dongles, worn around the neck or clipped to clothing. Some individuals have voluntarily taken the technology from these dongles and inserted it directly into their body. In this paper we introduce insertables as a new interaction device of choice and provide a definition of insertables, classifying emerging and near future devices as insertables. This paper demonstrates this trajectory towards devices inside the human body, and carves out insertables as a specific subset of devices which are voluntary, non-surgical and removable.
Frontiers in Psychology
In this article, we show that voluntarily inserting devices inside the body is contested and seek... more In this article, we show that voluntarily inserting devices inside the body is contested and seek to understand why. This article discusses insertables as a source of contestation. To describe and understand the social acceptability, reactions toward, and rhetoric surrounding insertable devices, we examine (i) the technical capabilities of insertable devices (the technical context), (ii) human reactions toward insertables (the social context), and (iii) the regulatory environment. The paper offers explanations to the misperceptions about insertables.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2022
In this article, we show that voluntarily inserting devices inside the body is contested and seek... more In this article, we show that voluntarily inserting devices inside the body is contested and seek to understand why. This article discusses insertables as a source of contestation. To describe and understand the social acceptability, reactions toward, and rhetoric surrounding insertable devices, we examine (i) the technical capabilities of insertable devices (the technical context), (ii) human reactions toward insertables (the social context), and (iii) the regulatory environment. The paper offers explanations to the misperceptions about insertables.
JMIR Research Protocols, 2016
Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and associated with increased risk of a numb... more Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and associated with increased risk of a number of chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, poor bone and muscle health, poor mental health, infection, and diabetes. Vitamin D deficiency affects millions of Australians, potentially causing considerable suffering, economic loss, and mortality. Objective: To measure the effectiveness of a (1) mobile-based app (behavioral) and (2) pharmacological intervention to increase circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (serum 25 OHD) levels and health outcomes over 4 months of intervention compared with usual care in a cohort of young women with suboptimal serum 25 OHD levels (25-75 nmol/L). Methods: Participants with 25 OHD levels 25 to 75 nmol/L are invited to participate in this study. Participants are randomized to one of three groups in 1:1:1 ratio: a mobile phone-based application, vitamin D supplementation (1000 IU/day), and a control group. Data collection points are at baseline, 4, and 12 months post baseline with the major endpoints being at 4 months. A wide-range of information is collected from participants throughout the course of this study. General health, behavioral and demographic information, medications, smoking, alcohol and other substance use, health risk factors, nutrition, eating patterns and disorders, and mental health data are sourced from self-administered, Web-based surveys. Clinical data include anthropometric measurements, a silicone skin cast of the hand, cutaneous melanin density, bone mineral density, and body composition scans obtained through site visits. Main analyses will be conducted in two ways on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis using the last observation carried forward approach as an imputation for missing data, and on a per protocol basis to compare the intervention arms against the control group at 4 and 12 months. Results: Publication of trial results is anticipated in 2017. Conclusions: The study will allow assessment of the effects of a mobile-based app behavioral intervention and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D status and will evaluate the effects of improving vitamin D levels on several health outcomes.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth, Jan 9, 2016
The now ubiquitous catchphrase, "There's an app for that," rings true owing to the ... more The now ubiquitous catchphrase, "There's an app for that," rings true owing to the growing number of mobile phone apps. In excess of 97,000 eHealth apps are available in major app stores. Yet the effectiveness of these apps varies greatly. While a minority of apps are developed grounded in theory and in conjunction with health care experts, the vast majority are not. This is concerning given the Hippocratic notion of "do no harm." There is currently no unified formal theory for developing interactive eHealth apps, and development is especially difficult when complex messaging is required, such as in health promotion and prevention. This paper aims to provide insight into the creation of interactive eHealth apps for complex messaging, by leveraging the Safe-D case study, which involved complex messaging required to guide safe but sufficient UV exposure for vitamin D synthesis in users. We aim to create recommendations for developing interactive eHealth apps fo...
With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, cr... more With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, crowdsourcing clinical research has the potential to become a powerful tool in surveilling and monitoring health outcomes. This paper evaluates the maturity of the emerging tool of crowdsourcing clinical research using two carefully selected and adapted evaluation models: Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM) and National Infrastructure Maturity Model (NIMM). Two models were used in conjunction for the evaluation as ProMMM focuses on a professional's ability to utilise crowdsourcing for clinical research, while NIMM focuses on the maturity of crowdsourcing clinical research itself. To evaluate maturity, the authors reviewed available literature and conducted primary research in the form of interviews at the Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital with Associate Professor Helmut Butzkueven, MS Neurologist and Researcher, and Dr Athina (Tina) Soulis, General Manager of Ne...
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine
With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, cr... more With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, crowdsourcing clinical research has the potential to become a powerful tool in surveilling and monitoring health outcomes. This paper evaluates the maturity of the emerging tool of crowdsourcing clinical research using two carefully selected and adapted evaluation models: Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM) and National Infrastructure Maturity Model (NIMM). Two models were used in conjunction for the evaluation as ProMMM focuses on a professional's ability to utilise crowdsourcing for clinical research, while NIMM focuses on the maturity of crowdsourcing clinical research itself. To evaluate maturity, the authors reviewed available literature and conducted primary research in the form of interviews at the Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital with Associate Professor Helmut Butzkueven, MS Neurologist and Researcher, and Dr Athina (Tina) Soulis, General Manager of Neuroscience Trials Australia. The tool of crowdsourcing for clinical research and the users and prospective users of the tool were found to be in immaturity. Despite immaturity, the future holds exciting applications for crowdsourcing clinical research with the potential to save costs, time, and recruit wider cohorts into clinical research. .
Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI '16, 2016
Proceedings of the 2016 ACM Conference Companion Publication on Designing Interactive Systems - DIS '16 Companion, 2016
With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, cr... more With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, crowdsourcing clinical research has the potential to become a powerful tool in surveilling and monitoring health outcomes. This paper evaluates the maturity of the emerging tool of crowdsourcing clinical research using two carefully selected and adapted evaluation models: Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM) and National Infrastructure Maturity Model (NIMM). Two models were used in conjunction for the evaluation as ProMMM focuses on a professional's ability to utilise crowdsourcing for clinical research, while NIMM focuses on the maturity of crowdsourcing clinical research itself. To evaluate maturity, the authors reviewed available literature and conducted primary research in the form of interviews at the Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital with Associate Professor Helmut Butzkueven, MS Neurologist and Researcher, and Dr Athina (Tina) Soulis, General Manager of Ne...
Journal of General Practice, 2014
With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the de... more With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the delivery of services and health messages to target populations, right in their pockets. Therefore, the use of these devices has potential to move information dissemination beyond just face-to-face consultations. This research highlights the lessons learned from the Safe-D (Safe vitamin D) case study to develop an Apple and Android app to safely improve vitamin D status in young women. The Safe-D App aims to assist individuals in a more personal manner, through self-monitoring and personalized relevant health messages that are dependent on the individual's monitored behavior. This paper will provide guidelines for message construction, along with recommendations to deliver targeted messages.
Journal of General Practice, 2014
With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the de... more With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the delivery of services and health messages to target populations, right in their pockets. Therefore, the use of these devices has potential to move information dissemination beyond just face-to-face consultations. This research highlights the lessons learned from the Safe-D (Safe vitamin D) case study to develop an Apple and Android app to safely improve vitamin D status in young women. The Safe-D App aims to assist individuals in a more personal manner, through self-monitoring and personalized relevant health messages that are dependent on the individual's monitored behavior. This paper will provide guidelines for message construction, along with recommendations to deliver targeted messages.
Proceedings of the 25th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference on Augmentation, Application, Innovation, Collaboration - OzCHI '13, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper introduces Family Room, a cross-platform solution to address email overload a... more ABSTRACT This paper introduces Family Room, a cross-platform solution to address email overload associated with personal information management (PIM), bridge the intergenerational disparity in technology use, and enhance reminiscence within geographically dispersed families. In response to the OzCHI 2013 24-hour Student Design Challenge, to design the future of email, this proposal focuses on families' use of email alongside other communication tools for managing digital possessions. The aim was to identify an approach to reduce email burden while supporting users' ability to connect with their family through a familiar platform. As this concept was designed and prototyped within 24 hours, further exploration and evaluation is recommended.
Journal of General Practice, 2014
With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the de... more With the advent of ubiquitous smartphone devices, health apps have become common, allowing the delivery of services and health messages to target populations, right in their pockets. Therefore, the use of these devices has potential to move information dissemination beyond just face-to-face consultations. This research highlights the lessons learned from the Safe-D (Safe vitamin D) case study to develop an Apple and Android app to safely improve vitamin D status in young women. The Safe-D App aims to assist individuals in a more personal manner, through self-monitoring and personalized relevant health messages that are dependent on the individual's monitored behavior. This paper will provide guidelines for message construction, along with recommendations to deliver targeted messages.
This paper introduces Family Room, a cross-platform solution to address email overload associated... more This paper introduces Family Room, a cross-platform solution to address email overload associated with personal information management (PIM), bridge the intergenerational disparity in technology use, and enhance reminiscence within geographically dispersed families. In response to the OzCHI 2013 24-hour Student Design Challenge, to design the future of email, this proposal focuses on families' use of email alongside other communication tools for managing digital possessions. The aim was to identify an approach to reduce email burden while supporting users' ability to connect with their family through a familiar platform. As this concept was designed and prototyped within 24 hours, further exploration and evaluation is recommended.
With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, cr... more With the growth of the Internet and individuals using the Internet for person health research, crowdsourcing clinical research has the potential to become a powerful tool in surveilling and monitoring health outcomes. This paper evaluates the maturity of the emerging tool of crowdsourcing clinical research using two carefully selected and adapted evaluation models: Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM) and National Infrastructure Maturity Model (NIMM). Two models were used in conjunction for the evaluation as ProMMM focuses on a professional's ability to utilise crowdsourcing for clinical research, while NIMM focuses on the maturity of crowdsourcing clinical research itself. To evaluate maturity, the authors reviewed available literature and conducted primary research in the form of interviews at the Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital with Associate Professor Helmut Butzkueven, MS Neurologist and Researcher, and Dr Athina (Tina) Soulis, General Manager of Neuroscience Trials Australia. The tool of crowdsourcing for clinical research and the users and prospective users of the tool were found to be in immaturity. Despite immaturity, the future holds exciting applications for crowdsourcing clinical research with the potential to save costs, time, and recruit wider cohorts into clinical research. .
Uploads
Papers by Kayla J Heffernan
Internet for person health research, crowdsourcing clinical
research has the potential to become a powerful tool in
surveilling and monitoring health outcomes. This paper
evaluates the maturity of the emerging tool of
crowdsourcing clinical research using two carefully
selected and adapted evaluation models: Project
Management Maturity Model (ProMMM) and National
Infrastructure Maturity Model (NIMM). Two models
were used in conjunction for the evaluation as ProMMM
focuses on a professional’s ability to utilise
crowdsourcing for clinical research, while NIMM focuses
on the maturity of crowdsourcing clinical research itself.
To evaluate maturity, the authors reviewed available
literature and conducted primary research in the form of
interviews at the Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal
Melbourne Hospital with Associate Professor Helmut
Butzkueven, MS Neurologist and Researcher, and Dr
Athina (Tina) Soulis, General Manager of Neuroscience
Trials Australia. The tool of crowdsourcing for clinical
research and the users and prospective users of the tool
were found to be in immaturity. Despite immaturity, the
future holds exciting applications for crowdsourcing
clinical research with the potential to save costs, time, and
recruit wider cohorts into clinical research. .